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Press Releases
Seals Urges House Democrats To Stand Ground On Telecom Immunity, Condemns Kirk For Engaging In Republican Fear Mongering
February 28, 2008
Deerfield, IL —Today, Democratic Congressional Candidate Dan Seals (IL-10) urged House Democrats to stand their ground against granting retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies who enabled the Bush administration’s illegal spying on U.S. citizens. While Congressman Mark Kirk has sided with the Bush administration and the special interests that have bankrolled his campaigns by refusing to support legislation that doesn’t include retroactive immunity, Seals pledged to defend the constitution and ensure that no one receives special treatment under the law.
“Time and time again, this administration and their allies in Congress, including Mark Kirk, have shown where their priorities lie,” Seals said. “Rather than pass meaningful legislation that would give our intelligence community the tools they need to keep our nation safe, they have held it hostage to protect the telecom companies who were complicit in breaking the law.”
Seals continued, “The American people deserve to know if these companies broke the law and should have the right to hold them accountable. In Congress, I will stand up for our Constitution and ensure that no one is above the law.”
Seals cited the RESTORE Act, which prohibits the warrantless surveillance of Americans, while ensuring that foreign terrorists do not receive any constitutional protections. President Bush has threatened to veto the RESTORE Act because it does not include retroactive immunity. Bush’s veto threats have been bolstered by House Republicans like Kirk, who has received over $80,000 from the telecommunications companies lobbying Congress for retroactive immunity, and who recently stated that he would “vote continually” in favor of immunity, ensuring that these companies never be held accountable for breaking the law.
Seals also condemned Kirk for engaging in misleading fear mongering. In a recent townhall, Kirk told a questioner that the failure to pass updated FISA legislation made the U.S. “vulnerable,” and warned that “we will miss a threat [and] Americans will be harmed.” What Kirk failed to mentioned, however, was that it is the Republican Party who has held up the FISA legislation because it does not offer blanket immunity to telecommunications companies who broke the law. Additionally, earlier this week U.S. Director of Intelligence Michael McConnell admitted that the U.S. still had the full authority to continue its electronic surveillance program.
“It is time to put an end to the scare tactics that the Bush administration has used over the past seven years to justify their abuse of executive power,” Seals said. “Despite all their tough talk on this issue, the fact remains that the Republicans are putting the telecom companies before our national security. The 10th district deserves a representative who will work to make our nation safer and honor the Constitution, not someone who will just fall in line with their party leaders.”
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